“Division of industry within the MOHW”…fostering pharma biotech

Sung-il Oh, newly appointed as the Head of the Division of Pharmaceutical and Biotech Industry, “Will facilitate technology and market moving from a regulatory perspective”

“Biotech is the chief interest in the Presidential meetings…will accommodate real-world demands, such as innovative pharmaceutical reform”

Sung-il Oh, the Head of the Division of Pharmaceutical and Biotech Industry

"I consider the Division of Pharmaceutical and Biotech Industry as the Division of Industry within the Ministry of Health and Welfare. While the traditional duties of the Office for Healthcare Policy on regulatory laws under the Medical Services Act and the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, the primary mission of the Division of Pharmaceutical and Biotech Industry is fundamentally to promote and foster technology, markets, and the industry. My priority is to listen extensively and meet as frequently as possible with pharma companies, biotech firms, and healthcare sector stakeholders to build an environment where the industry can perform at its best."

Core mission of the Division of Pharmaceutical and Biotech Industry under the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) include fostering domestic blockbuster novel drugs, providing policy support for the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors to address supply instabilities of essential medicines, modernizing the Innovative Pharmaceutical Company certification system, and nurturing the global pharmaceutical and biotech industry.

Sung-il Oh, newly appointed as the Head of the Division of Pharmaceutical and Biotech Industry on July 22, clearly understood the aim of the division and its key responsibilities, despite returning to healthcare administration after a hiatus.

Meeting with the press that day, Oh explained that while the current government, including the MOHW, considers strengthening public access to healthcare and enhancing patient convenience a major pillar of healthcare policy, it also recognizes the promotion and development of the pharmaceutical and biotech industry as a vital task to achieve.

In outlining his aspirations as the new division head, Oh pledged to "listen as much as possible and meet as many people as possible." As the administration has defined the pharmaceutical and biotech industry as a key growth driver for the nation's future and signaled regulatory rationalization for its fostering and promotion, his commitment signifies an intention to directly observe and hear what regulatory improvements and policies the market actually requires.

Oh highlighted, "The current government has a very keen interest in promoting the pharmaceutical and biotech industry, something I observed during my previous role as the Regulatory Reform and Legal Affairs Officer," and added, "Unlike the previous administration where the Regulatory Reform Committee functioned under the Prime Minister, the current administration's Regulatory Rationalization Committee is chaired directly by the President. Biotech has consistently been a major agenda item at presidential meetings."

Oh continued, "The advice from senior officials was to listen first. I am personally experiencing that the pharmaceutical and biotech industry has many factors distinct from general healthcare administration, and I am studying various issues extensively." He stated, "I maintain an open-minded approach toward everyone who comes to visit. For now, my focus will be on properly executing well-crafted existing policies, such as the reform plan for the Innovative Pharmaceutical Company criteria."

Oh concluded by stating, "Government interest in regulatory rationalization is high, and as the government believes that promoting the pharmaceutical and biotech industry will expand the nation's future growth engines, there seems to be deep deliberation at the top," and added, "While general healthcare administration primarily deals with occupational disputes and conflict mediation, and national health insurance focuses on fee adjustments, the Division of Pharmaceutical and Biotech Industry is a unit built to promote and foster. Perspective needs to shift significantly. I intend to learn thoroughly right from the basics."